The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-10-06

which was not directly in the interest OF
the soldier. and well-calculated 20 promote
whatever would benefit him. lie honored
Capt. Lemon as a warm-heaied, faithful friend
of the soldier, and a man OF unimpeachable
honor in everything. He closed by saying that
no party would dare shoulder the burden Of adj
vocating such an enormous expenditure as was
contemplated by the Service Pension Bill and
il was useless 10 talk about it, Ii was wrong 10
call il service pension bill, because it made no
discrimination in regard 10 service, but put the
man who served 100 days in New York haTbor
on the same plane with the veterans who spent
four years in the field. and went through the
Wilderness 10 Appomattox. He closed with an
appeal 10 the Encampment 10 sustain is PEN
sion Committee. so as 10 give IL all possible in
fluence with Congress during the coming mo-
mentous session. You put ammunition into
our hands with which 20 fight" he said; don't,
beg you. now dampeu the cartridges"
Comnde BIRD, of Montana, speaking against
the Service Pension Bill, referred TO his own
service in a 100 days regiment rs an argument.
Tie was too Young 10 get into any other kind OF
service, were nearly all those who stood IN
the ranks with him. The most of those boys
are now in the prime of life, aud many Of them
are more than wcll-of IL was prepOsterous TO
make the relief Of the broken-down and needy
in the almshOuses wait upon the granting OF
pensions 20 these able-bOdied, well-to-do men,
who had suffered nothing during the 100 days
of light and pleasant duty they had done for
the Government.
Past Commander-in- Chief Burdett congratu-
lated the Encampment that all that had been
said so far was worthy Of the Grand Army OF
the Republic. lie proceeded TO make sledge-
hammer argument against the service pension.
He said that oar service in the army was either
business or patriotism. Either We went for the
pay or for love Of country. If we went for pay
/ 4. "a go hat ha
eminent had not discharged all the indebted
ness growing ont OF its contract with him. III
we went for patriotism, he for one did not pro-
pose 10 have his love Of country measured by
| s. a month. he said that this was not ques-
! ton which we had 10 settle among ourselves,
but with the $4,000. 600 people Of the country
who had to foot the bills lie proceeded 10
! show what il would cost 10 pay pension of 50
a month TO the 10000 men now alive who
served in the army. This, with the present
4 pension list wonld make grand total OF
! $3,i5, 100000, sum so enormous that no people
would stand it, and it was foolishness 10 talk
about il.
Comrade J. w. Kay. of New York, was al
lowed two minutes, and put them IN TO good
advantage for service pensions.
Comrade Hannibal Hamlin said:
CoMMANDER-I IN CHIEF AND COMRADES: don't
! know what are The words 1 utter in supple
ment 10 what has Dlueh better been said 10y Other
| gentlemen. As a member Of that committee. five
minutes having been assigned to me. will occupy
at least portion OF H. said yesterday that this or
| ganization WAS based upon the design OF the grand
est charity of any institution within the world.
| repeat IL now But there are yet uncounted thou
| sands of the poor who have been in the service
| that neither the Grand Army nor the Noman's Re
lief Corps can reach. We have got To appeal To Con
gross 10 reach them. and am here 10 advocate thai
| appeal. The men who are urging the Service Pen
] sion Bill here are opposing that measure. know
/ the method of legislation. 1 know the manner In
/ which hills t,aSspA and know tht
adroiiness and ability with which minOrlties al
| ways seize upon every opportunity TO defeat
! measure they do not approve. and Ii Il quite "A.
often that they seek Go kan IL by kindness by op
position. In other words, / have heard u said -
oen that bin don't 20 far enough but that Is The
policy OF the adroit politician, aud he adds 10 4
until the thing breaks down. Now, IL there j. AM
man In this assembly who is more in favor of TIA,
disability pension bill than myself would like q
have him walk zap here aud let me look him IN th'
eve. My heart u in IL. i want TO sec IL become
law. think there u a reasonable prospect that !
may become a law within the coming two years
We have Presidential election coming, and tel
I you that there j. power behind that. am M
/ prophet. hut would predict that "A President WIN
will rgain veto a disability pension bin nevc
be re-eccted President Of the United States. fo
pat 20 them "a service bill. aud am not quite sur
thai a veto would have the same result. Let IA ID
careful aud wise tn what we are doing. Keep will
in proper limits. We simply say now we will eK
press no opinions. Don't kill the Disability pen
sion bill by asking for great deal more.
Comrade Jas. T. Johnston, of Indians
closed up the debate with speech IN favor Q
service pensions. He claimed that this wa
something demanded by the people, and illus
trated bis position by saying that last year Ger
HOvev Col. White aud himself were nominate
for Congress in strong Democratic district
They placed themselves squarely upon the uni
versal pension platform. while their opponent
tried toquibhle and evade the Issue. The resul
, was that Gen. Hovey, Col. White and himsel
{ were elected by majorities ranging from 900 {
, l.S00. He spoke for the 100000 men who COT
, ried muskets. aud he believed that he voice
their sentiments. His experience with legi'
, lation showed that ii you wanted anythin
. from Congress Won had TO ask much, for the
are in the habit of cutting everything in TIVE
5 The way to get the Dependent Bin passed wa
Q TO insist upon the service pension. La
? Winter the friends of the soldiers were Ell
( barrassed in Congress by the action Of the FL
, campment at San Francisco in not askin
{ enough. The enemies Of pensions fourishe
4 the moderate demands Of the National Pensio
Committee in their faces as a reply. lie wa
c in favor of asking everything, and takin
E what could be got. he did not believe in ode
1 ing 10 compromise in advance.
c This exhausted the hour. BallOttiDg at ono
e began. Several comrades from New Yorl
/, Delaware, Massachusetts and elsewhere e,
o planned that they voted against depender
J. pensions. and in favor Of service pensions, al
= der protest, and only because they had bee
!, instructed 10. and one cOmrade said that
: voted the other way under protest because
o had been instructed.
q The ballot resulted: